by Isabel Allende
This is the second book I have read by this author. I have to say that I enjoyed the first one, The Japanse Lover, more than this one.
The book is the story of three people, who have had devastating lives, come together.
It starts telling uus about a Chilean woman, Lucia, who is in New York working as a sessional lecture at a University. She is living in the basement suite of Richard, a colleague who recommended her for the job. Lucia lived in Chile at the time of the revolution, one of her brothers disappeared during the time of the revolution. She escaped to the states to get an education but later returns to Chile to document the revolution and all the disappearances. She later marries an older man and they have a strange unaffectionte marriage. When she gets breast cancer her husband basically abandons her as he says he can't deal with her illness.
Richard is a very closed up individual. He seems to have a compuslive disorder. He doesn't heat his house enough so Lucia is often cold. His only companions are four cats. He rebuffs Lucia's efforts at friendship. One day one of his cats drinks some antifreeze. Despite the fact there is a terrible blizzard he drives to a vet to get the cat treated. On the way home he rear ends a car. The driver is a young Latino woman who is hysterical. Richard tells her it is his fault and not to worry as his insurance will pay to fix the car. He can't calm her but gives her his card and tells her to get in touch with him.
A few days later the young woman knocks on his door. She is still upset. Her English isn't good so he asks Lucia to come to speak to her in Spanish. They find out that the young woman, Evelyn, is an illegal alien working as a caregiver for a boy with cerebral palsy. Evelyn had borrowed her boss's car to go get diapers for the boy. When she goes to put the diapers in the trunk she finds a dead woman rolled up in a carpet in the trunk. This is why she is so upset.
They eventually learn that she has come from terrifying conditions in Guatemala. Her mother is in the US but she and her brother lived with their Grandmother. One of her brothers got involved with a gang and is eventually murdered by them for something he did wrong. He is found hanging from a bridge as a warning to others. Eventually gang members come to Evelyn's home, they murder her other brother and rape her. The Grandmother pays a "coyote" to get Eveylyn "safe" passage to the United States. She makes it to the U.S. but her mother, who has a new life doesn't really want her around so she is sent to New York to find work.
We learn that Richard lived for a time in Brazil and married a Brazilian woman. Their marriage was plagued. Their second child, a boy, dies of SIDS, his wife becomes very depressed. Then Richard accidentally kills their daughter, driving over her in their driveway. His wife really spirls into depression then. Richard decides to take his wife back to the U.S. While he tries to get her to seek psychiatic care she refuses. She is in a country where she has no family to support her, doesn't speak the language. She won't leave the house. Richard doesn't seem to be very supportive or caring. One weekend he decides to go on a camping weekend with a friend and his wife commits suicide. Now we realize why he is so repressed. He has so much guilt weighing on him.
Despite his fear of change, etc. Richard and Lucia decide to help Lucia get rid of the body and the car. At first they are going to dump the body but then they realize that they don't want her to be another disappeared person so they take her to a place she will evenutall be found. It turns out this woman was a person who worked for the same family as Evelyn as a physical therapist for the boy. This woman was having an affair with the boy's father. They assume Evelyn's boss murdered the woman. We find out the man is a successful business man who is actually involved with people smuggling.
They dispose of the car, and the body, and get Evelyn to Florida to start a new life. Lucia and Richard discover they love each other. Eventually they find out that Evelyn's boss is arrested for the murder of the woman (he actually didn't kill her, his wife did). This gives the authorities the chance to get a search warrant to investigate his smuggling activities.
He escapes to Mexico where is eventually found and murdered in a police raid.
One day Lucia goes to see the boss's wife because Evelyn would like to see the boy. The woman suspects she is there to blackmail her about the murder. Lucia insures her they aren't. Richard and Lucia decide not to report the woman to the police. They feel she suffered enough from her abusive husband. They call it 'natural justice".
While the story of the lives and the various tragedies are interesting I just don't understand why Richard and Lucia would do what they did to help Evelyn. They could have just left the car with the body somewhere to be found. As Evelyn disappeared at the same time as the car it is possible she might have been sought for the murder but they could have made arrangements to get her out of New York like they did at the end of the book. Plus Lucia tells Richard that he is forgiven of his mistakes but I don't feel he owned up to his maltreatment of his wife. His child's death was an accident but he really did nothing to try to help and support his wife. And, I think it was very cruel to leave her alone and go off with the friend. I think some repentance on his part is needed.
Sunday, 21 January 2018
Wolves in Winter
by Tyrell Johnson
This book is by a Kelowna author. It has become a bestseller.
The story is about a young woman, Gwendolynn (who calls herself Lynn). The developed world has been decimated first because of a nuclear war, followed by a deadly flu. Lynn, her mother and brother and a few other people are survivors, eaking out an existence in the Yukon. They don't have much to live on, surviving on the meat they can hunt or fish they catch and they are managing to grow carrots and potatoes.
Lynn's father had been a biologist/researcher working in Chicago. As the world fell apart they fled to Alaska to try to escape the flu. Lynn got the flu and survived, her brother and Mother never got it. Her father died.
One day a stranger, Jax arrives in their area. They are not sure if he can be trusted. They eventually learn that he is being hunted by a group called Immunity that is supposed to be looking for a cure for the flu. It appears that Jaks has immunity. He also seems to have super powers in some way. Jaks plans to leave so they won't be endangered.
One day Jax and Jeryl, Lynn's uncle head off into the woods. Lynn decides to follow them. She sees Jax and Jeryl attacked by people from Immunity, she doesn't know if they survive as she is captured by Immunity.
It seems that Immunity is keeping her hostage to try to get Jax to come to them. While she is in the Immunity camp one of the camp's test subjects gets wounded tryiing to escape and also gets the flu The Immunity people make Lynn's donate blood to her and it cures the woman's flu. They then realized that Lynn must have immunity so she becomes even more important to them. Lynn figures out that the Immunity leader isn't really doing things for altruistic regions. He hope to get wealthy if he can offer a cure/serum.
Eventually Lynn escapes and meets up with Jeryl and Jax who take her back to her family. Soon after the Immunity folks descend on them and there is a battle. Lynn and her group wipe out all the Intruders. As the book ends Lynn and Jax are heading south, hoping to get to Vancouver because they were told that there is a group in Vancouver that they should connect with to save the world from the flu.
The book was more interesting than I expected it to be. It was a pretty good adventure story.
This book is by a Kelowna author. It has become a bestseller.
The story is about a young woman, Gwendolynn (who calls herself Lynn). The developed world has been decimated first because of a nuclear war, followed by a deadly flu. Lynn, her mother and brother and a few other people are survivors, eaking out an existence in the Yukon. They don't have much to live on, surviving on the meat they can hunt or fish they catch and they are managing to grow carrots and potatoes.
Lynn's father had been a biologist/researcher working in Chicago. As the world fell apart they fled to Alaska to try to escape the flu. Lynn got the flu and survived, her brother and Mother never got it. Her father died.
One day a stranger, Jax arrives in their area. They are not sure if he can be trusted. They eventually learn that he is being hunted by a group called Immunity that is supposed to be looking for a cure for the flu. It appears that Jaks has immunity. He also seems to have super powers in some way. Jaks plans to leave so they won't be endangered.
One day Jax and Jeryl, Lynn's uncle head off into the woods. Lynn decides to follow them. She sees Jax and Jeryl attacked by people from Immunity, she doesn't know if they survive as she is captured by Immunity.
It seems that Immunity is keeping her hostage to try to get Jax to come to them. While she is in the Immunity camp one of the camp's test subjects gets wounded tryiing to escape and also gets the flu The Immunity people make Lynn's donate blood to her and it cures the woman's flu. They then realized that Lynn must have immunity so she becomes even more important to them. Lynn figures out that the Immunity leader isn't really doing things for altruistic regions. He hope to get wealthy if he can offer a cure/serum.
Eventually Lynn escapes and meets up with Jeryl and Jax who take her back to her family. Soon after the Immunity folks descend on them and there is a battle. Lynn and her group wipe out all the Intruders. As the book ends Lynn and Jax are heading south, hoping to get to Vancouver because they were told that there is a group in Vancouver that they should connect with to save the world from the flu.
The book was more interesting than I expected it to be. It was a pretty good adventure story.
Thursday, 16 November 2017
Rhetoric of Death
by Judith Rock
This mystery is set in the 1600's in France. The story is about a Jesuit Monk, Charles du Luc who is from Southern France. At this time there is a campaign on to convert the French Hugenot's to Catholicism. Charles has some Hugenot relatives who do not wish to convert but would rather escape to Switzerland. He aids them in leaving the country, or so he thinks.
His supervisors are aware of his sympathies to the Hugenot's and send him to Paris to be a Rhetoric Teacher at a Jesuit school.
The first day that Charles is in Paris he is helping students practice a play/ballet and the star dancer runs from the room. Charles is instructed to follow him but he loses the boy in the crowded streets of Paris.
Soon after the younger brother of the escapee is knocked down in the street by an unknown horseman. Charles is advised that it was an accident but he has his suspicions and starts to investigate even though advised by the head of the school to leave matters to the police.
He doesn't follow orders and discovers there is are discrepancies between what the young boy and witnesses have said and what a priest at the school, a relative of the boys, say.
While he is trying to get more information he finds that another witness has been murdered. Then the tutor of the young boy eats chocolates sent to the boy and dies of poisoning. The Leader of the school now instructs Charles to pursue the cases to try to get the truth.
It eventually is revealed that the boy's new young stepmother wants them out of the picture and that the child she is carrying is not her husband's.
The story was well written, there was a lot of detail about Paris at the time. I enjoyed it.
This mystery is set in the 1600's in France. The story is about a Jesuit Monk, Charles du Luc who is from Southern France. At this time there is a campaign on to convert the French Hugenot's to Catholicism. Charles has some Hugenot relatives who do not wish to convert but would rather escape to Switzerland. He aids them in leaving the country, or so he thinks.
His supervisors are aware of his sympathies to the Hugenot's and send him to Paris to be a Rhetoric Teacher at a Jesuit school.
The first day that Charles is in Paris he is helping students practice a play/ballet and the star dancer runs from the room. Charles is instructed to follow him but he loses the boy in the crowded streets of Paris.
Soon after the younger brother of the escapee is knocked down in the street by an unknown horseman. Charles is advised that it was an accident but he has his suspicions and starts to investigate even though advised by the head of the school to leave matters to the police.
He doesn't follow orders and discovers there is are discrepancies between what the young boy and witnesses have said and what a priest at the school, a relative of the boys, say.
While he is trying to get more information he finds that another witness has been murdered. Then the tutor of the young boy eats chocolates sent to the boy and dies of poisoning. The Leader of the school now instructs Charles to pursue the cases to try to get the truth.
It eventually is revealed that the boy's new young stepmother wants them out of the picture and that the child she is carrying is not her husband's.
The story was well written, there was a lot of detail about Paris at the time. I enjoyed it.
Friday, 22 September 2017
The Women in the Castle
by Jessica Shattuck
This story takes place during WWII in Germany. It tells the story of a woman whose husband and friends were part of a group that opposed Hitler and attempted to assassinate him. The men were caught and murdered.
The book describes the hardships people in Germany suffered during the war. For safety and to live off the land the woman takes her children to an old family castle in the countryside. This is a location many parties were held in the past. She had made a promise to a boyhood friend, a man she loved, that she would look after his wife. She goes looking for the wife and her son. She finds the wife has basically become a sex slave for a German SS officer. By force of will she is able to extracate the woman from that situation. She finds the woman's son in an "orphanage". She also befriends the wife of a Polish man who came to their house and confirmed attrocities that were being committed. This man too had been killed. She finds the man's wife and her two sons in a DP camp.
While they are on the farm the Americans invade Germany and take German soldiers as POW's. They offer her a German officer as a worker to help around the farm. She is happy to have his help until she learns of attrocities that were committed by his unit. She tells the Americans she does not want him to come back. What she doesn't know is that the wife of her friend has fallen in love with the German soldier and they eventually plan to marry. The woman is horrified she feels the young woman is betraying her husband by wanting to marry the German soldier so she intervenes by talking to the German soldier and he decides to call off the wedding.
The young woman is so distraught by the interference, she feels she is intitled to love and that the German people should have the right to start over. She leaves her friend, goes to live with family and commits suicide.
The other woman becomes a housekeeper for a local famer and eventually they marry. She is shocked when her first husband shows up and wants back in her life. We learn that she is not who she says she was. She had stollen a dead woman's identity papers. She and her first husband were acturally Nazi supporters running camps to train boys in Nazi theory.
The woman, Marianne, is shocked that the woman has lied and cuts off contact with her. Marianne is a strong woman but a bit too sure of herself and how only she knows what is right. In the end of her life she has come to regret that she interfered between the young couple and that maybe she shouldn't have been so harsh on the other woman. The story explores what we might do if threatened and what people might do reluctantly just to survive. For eg. the soldier knew what his troop was going to do and got and admin job so he didn't actually do the killing, but does that make him any less guilty?
It was interesting to read a story about what was going on in Germany during the war. It was a very well written, engaging story.
This story takes place during WWII in Germany. It tells the story of a woman whose husband and friends were part of a group that opposed Hitler and attempted to assassinate him. The men were caught and murdered.
The book describes the hardships people in Germany suffered during the war. For safety and to live off the land the woman takes her children to an old family castle in the countryside. This is a location many parties were held in the past. She had made a promise to a boyhood friend, a man she loved, that she would look after his wife. She goes looking for the wife and her son. She finds the wife has basically become a sex slave for a German SS officer. By force of will she is able to extracate the woman from that situation. She finds the woman's son in an "orphanage". She also befriends the wife of a Polish man who came to their house and confirmed attrocities that were being committed. This man too had been killed. She finds the man's wife and her two sons in a DP camp.
While they are on the farm the Americans invade Germany and take German soldiers as POW's. They offer her a German officer as a worker to help around the farm. She is happy to have his help until she learns of attrocities that were committed by his unit. She tells the Americans she does not want him to come back. What she doesn't know is that the wife of her friend has fallen in love with the German soldier and they eventually plan to marry. The woman is horrified she feels the young woman is betraying her husband by wanting to marry the German soldier so she intervenes by talking to the German soldier and he decides to call off the wedding.
The young woman is so distraught by the interference, she feels she is intitled to love and that the German people should have the right to start over. She leaves her friend, goes to live with family and commits suicide.
The other woman becomes a housekeeper for a local famer and eventually they marry. She is shocked when her first husband shows up and wants back in her life. We learn that she is not who she says she was. She had stollen a dead woman's identity papers. She and her first husband were acturally Nazi supporters running camps to train boys in Nazi theory.
The woman, Marianne, is shocked that the woman has lied and cuts off contact with her. Marianne is a strong woman but a bit too sure of herself and how only she knows what is right. In the end of her life she has come to regret that she interfered between the young couple and that maybe she shouldn't have been so harsh on the other woman. The story explores what we might do if threatened and what people might do reluctantly just to survive. For eg. the soldier knew what his troop was going to do and got and admin job so he didn't actually do the killing, but does that make him any less guilty?
It was interesting to read a story about what was going on in Germany during the war. It was a very well written, engaging story.
Saturday, 2 September 2017
Glass Houses
by Louise Penny
Penny has done it again, another interesting story about Inspector Gamache and the quirky citizens of Three Pines. In this story a strange character, in a black cape with a bird nose mask (like from Venice) stands in the town square silent but staring. They find out the character is like a Spanish character called a Cobrador del Frac, a conscience or "debt collector" who followed guilty people around to frame them.
Gamache approaches the character but the character won't speak. Everyone if the village fears it might be there to shame them.
There are two couples visiting the town at this time. They come to the town annually but a little later this time. There are also two new employees, a baker's assistant and a dishwasher, aspiring chef.
A few days later the black figure is gone but shortly after Gamache's wife discovers one of the woman visitor's dead in the church basement dressed in the costume.
As the story is told Gamache is on the witness stand and there appears to be friction between him and the Crown Counsel. The Judge can sense it be can't figure out why. She is unaware that Gamache has made the decision to commit perjury on the witness stand.
We learn that while the trial is underway Gamach, who is now Chief of the Surete, and his team are working to catch a major drug ring operating in the province.
In the end they find out who killed the woman (the sister of a man the woman rejected years before who killed himself) and they do catch the drug lords but not without violating some police policies so that both Gamache and the Crown Counsel find themselves removed from their jobs and under investigation.
As always a great story including the antics of the locals.
Penny has done it again, another interesting story about Inspector Gamache and the quirky citizens of Three Pines. In this story a strange character, in a black cape with a bird nose mask (like from Venice) stands in the town square silent but staring. They find out the character is like a Spanish character called a Cobrador del Frac, a conscience or "debt collector" who followed guilty people around to frame them.
Gamache approaches the character but the character won't speak. Everyone if the village fears it might be there to shame them.
There are two couples visiting the town at this time. They come to the town annually but a little later this time. There are also two new employees, a baker's assistant and a dishwasher, aspiring chef.
A few days later the black figure is gone but shortly after Gamache's wife discovers one of the woman visitor's dead in the church basement dressed in the costume.
As the story is told Gamache is on the witness stand and there appears to be friction between him and the Crown Counsel. The Judge can sense it be can't figure out why. She is unaware that Gamache has made the decision to commit perjury on the witness stand.
We learn that while the trial is underway Gamach, who is now Chief of the Surete, and his team are working to catch a major drug ring operating in the province.
In the end they find out who killed the woman (the sister of a man the woman rejected years before who killed himself) and they do catch the drug lords but not without violating some police policies so that both Gamache and the Crown Counsel find themselves removed from their jobs and under investigation.
As always a great story including the antics of the locals.
A Deadly Affection
by Cuyler Overholt
This story takes place in New York in the early 1900's. The main character Dr. Genevieve Summerland, is a recently graduated Dr. who hopes to specialize in Psychiatry, against her father's better judgement.
She meets with some women in a group setting in a Church basement and delivers her "lecture". The attendees don't seem to impressed. One of the patients tells her that she had a child out of wedlock and a doctor took the baby away from her. Genevieve assures her that she has a right to know what happened to the child and that she was wronged by the doctor. She encourages the woman to contact the doctor.
The next morning she is walking down the street and comes upon a murder scene. She finds that the patient who had had her baby taken away from her has been arrested for the murder of a doctor. Genevieve is convinced that despite the evidence her patient did not do it. She is frustrated that the police are so convinced they have found the right person. Genevieve enlists the help of a man who used to work for her family and who seems to have contacts in the legal and not so legal world. As part of the story we find that the Doctor who was murdered has implied that the woman had Huntington's. Genevieve finds the woman she thinks is the daughter of her patient and who was adopted into a wealthy family. She sees evidence of the disease in the "daughter" but none in her patient.
They discover that the patient has multiple personalities and was raped and impregnated by her father and that it was her mother who murdered the Doctor and his daughter.
This was an okay mystery, a bit to wordy and times and not much character development.
This story takes place in New York in the early 1900's. The main character Dr. Genevieve Summerland, is a recently graduated Dr. who hopes to specialize in Psychiatry, against her father's better judgement.
She meets with some women in a group setting in a Church basement and delivers her "lecture". The attendees don't seem to impressed. One of the patients tells her that she had a child out of wedlock and a doctor took the baby away from her. Genevieve assures her that she has a right to know what happened to the child and that she was wronged by the doctor. She encourages the woman to contact the doctor.
The next morning she is walking down the street and comes upon a murder scene. She finds that the patient who had had her baby taken away from her has been arrested for the murder of a doctor. Genevieve is convinced that despite the evidence her patient did not do it. She is frustrated that the police are so convinced they have found the right person. Genevieve enlists the help of a man who used to work for her family and who seems to have contacts in the legal and not so legal world. As part of the story we find that the Doctor who was murdered has implied that the woman had Huntington's. Genevieve finds the woman she thinks is the daughter of her patient and who was adopted into a wealthy family. She sees evidence of the disease in the "daughter" but none in her patient.
They discover that the patient has multiple personalities and was raped and impregnated by her father and that it was her mother who murdered the Doctor and his daughter.
This was an okay mystery, a bit to wordy and times and not much character development.
Sunday, 27 August 2017
The Bat
by Jo Nesbo
This is the first mystery book in the Harry Hole series.
Hole is a Norwegian police officer who has been sent to Australia to help/observe the investigation the rape/death of a Norwegian girl.
Hole has a troubled past, he had a girlfriend as a youth who dumped him for another guy. As a police officer he was driving a police car while drunk and crashed. His partner died in the crash and the police department official report says his partner was the one who was drunk and was the driver. Hole is haunted by the death he caused and also the distorting of the truth. He was in hospital for a long time and has now given up drinking.
When he arrives in Australia he is welcomed by an aboriginal police officer, Andrew. Harry and Andrew help with the investigation including conducting additional interviews with people who knew the victim, etc. In the story Harry is introduced or meets a variety of characters, Otto, a homosexual clown, a boxer friend of Andrew's, also an aboriginal; a drunk who hangs out in a downtown park, a flasher and Brigette, a barmaid from Sweden who Harry falls for and numerous low lifes. They come up with a number of theories about the murder but aren't getting anywhere. Then the find Otto has been murdered and Andrew is found hanged in Otto's place. It appears he committed suicide but anyone who knows Andrew doubts that is the truth. Harry and another police officer are able to prove that it was murder. We find out that Andrew was a heroine addict but managed to hold down a job. Harry believes that Andrew was trying to give him some hints as to the murderer prior to his death.
Harry is really devastated by Andrew's death and really falls off the wagon.
They suspect the murderer might be a drug dealer and try to trick him into admitting it by having Brigitte meet with him to see if he will confess. However Brigitte never makes the meeting with the drug dealer, she has disappeared. Harry now realizes that the drug dealer was not the murderer, it was Andrew's boxer friend. He tells Harry he has Brigitte and will release her if Harry plants evidence to frame the drug dealer. The police try to find the Boxer but they find Brigitte dead first,
Harry is totally gutted as it was his suggestion that she be the one to meet with the drug dealer.
Harry eventually tracks the murderer down in the Sydney acquarium where the murderer is killed by a great white shark.
The book was an interesting read, there is a bit of violence. Harry is a complicated character who is not afraid to break the rules as a police officer. I can understand the appeal of the series.
This is the first mystery book in the Harry Hole series.
Hole is a Norwegian police officer who has been sent to Australia to help/observe the investigation the rape/death of a Norwegian girl.
Hole has a troubled past, he had a girlfriend as a youth who dumped him for another guy. As a police officer he was driving a police car while drunk and crashed. His partner died in the crash and the police department official report says his partner was the one who was drunk and was the driver. Hole is haunted by the death he caused and also the distorting of the truth. He was in hospital for a long time and has now given up drinking.
When he arrives in Australia he is welcomed by an aboriginal police officer, Andrew. Harry and Andrew help with the investigation including conducting additional interviews with people who knew the victim, etc. In the story Harry is introduced or meets a variety of characters, Otto, a homosexual clown, a boxer friend of Andrew's, also an aboriginal; a drunk who hangs out in a downtown park, a flasher and Brigette, a barmaid from Sweden who Harry falls for and numerous low lifes. They come up with a number of theories about the murder but aren't getting anywhere. Then the find Otto has been murdered and Andrew is found hanged in Otto's place. It appears he committed suicide but anyone who knows Andrew doubts that is the truth. Harry and another police officer are able to prove that it was murder. We find out that Andrew was a heroine addict but managed to hold down a job. Harry believes that Andrew was trying to give him some hints as to the murderer prior to his death.
Harry is really devastated by Andrew's death and really falls off the wagon.
They suspect the murderer might be a drug dealer and try to trick him into admitting it by having Brigitte meet with him to see if he will confess. However Brigitte never makes the meeting with the drug dealer, she has disappeared. Harry now realizes that the drug dealer was not the murderer, it was Andrew's boxer friend. He tells Harry he has Brigitte and will release her if Harry plants evidence to frame the drug dealer. The police try to find the Boxer but they find Brigitte dead first,
Harry is totally gutted as it was his suggestion that she be the one to meet with the drug dealer.
Harry eventually tracks the murderer down in the Sydney acquarium where the murderer is killed by a great white shark.
The book was an interesting read, there is a bit of violence. Harry is a complicated character who is not afraid to break the rules as a police officer. I can understand the appeal of the series.
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